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So, instead, she smiled and said, “Well, everything has been taken care of now. No need to stay upset.”
“I’m just worried about you. Having to deal with Eleanor over such trivial matters in this freezing weather-I’m sure you didn’t have an easy time.”
“It wasn’t too bad. Besides, after these two incidents, Mother won’t treat me harshly anymore.”
“She wouldn’t dare,” Rafael replied, his brows furrowed in anger.
“She’s my mother-in-law. If she expects me to follow the rules, serve her meals, and take care of her needs, I can’t refuse. It’s common for mothers-in-law to give the et daughters-in-law a hard time to assert their authority and maintain discipline.”
Rafael tightened his grip on his wife’s hand. “There’s no such rule in my residence.”
Sophie gave him a warm smile and said nothing more, holding his hand as they walked into Orchid Hall together.
One of the perks of Orchid Hall was the hot water bath, which was always available whenever needed. Since they were both chilled, Sophie suggested her husband take a soak first.
Rafael wrapped an arm around her waist. “I noticed the bath is quite large. It’s more than enough for two people. Why not save the trouble and soak together?”
His dark eyes held a mix of subtlety and raw intensity. The warmth of his body against hers sent a wave of heat coursing through her, like a spark igniting a flame. Her cheeks and ears flushed red. Noticing a few maids nearby covering their mouths to stifle giggles, Sophie playfully hit her husband’s chest. “Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Embarrassed or not, the two of them did end up bathing together in the end. After soaking in the bath, they continued their passionate night under the white canopy of their bed.
Fortunately, both were trained in martial arts. So, even with only getting an hour or two of sleep, they were still able to go about their day without feeling tired.
As they got up the next morning, two unfamiliar attendants entered to serve Rafael. Luke had arranged this. These two elderly women, Sydney and Qiana, had originally worked in the embroidery room. But now that Rafael had no one to serve him, it wouldn’t be appropriate to have a young servant help him with dressing and personal needs.
As for the maids serving Sophie, Joy and Winter had gone to attend to Ryan. Meanwhile, Lulu, Snow, and Pearl remained by Sophie’s side to serve her personally.
Lily was in charge of managing the entire Orchid Hall, so naturally, it wouldn’t be appropriate to ask her to take on these duties. And if younger servants were sent to attend to Rafael, there was a risk they may harbor inappropriate thoughts.
So, it was better to have Sydney and Qiana serve Rafael. Both women were in their forties and had a reputation for their steady and reliable work. They were unlikely to cause any trouble. These two women had been sent by Victoria when Rafael first established his estate. They had previously served the queen dowager herself, so their trustworthiness was assured.
Rafael didn’t need to go to the Supreme Court today. With the year coming to a close, the court had already sealed its documents, and no new matters would be addressed until the eighth day of the new year. Sophie mentioned that she needed to return to Northwatch Estate today. After the couple dressed and had breakfast, they sent someone to fetch Ryan so he could accompany them back.
However, just as they were about to leave, they saw Violet arrive with Travis.
As soon as she entered, Violet said, “They left the city yesterday evening. They said they were in a hurry to leave and couldn’t inform you.” Hearing this, Sophie’s eyes reddened. “It’s always like this. I can’t trust my master. We had clearly agreed that they would tell me before leaving.”
“Your master was afraid you’d start crying. Let it go, okay? We’ll return to Meadow Ridge together when the weather warms up.”
“Are you planning to stay here until then?” Sophie looked at her friend. “Does your master allow you to stay in the capital for so long?”
“It’s not that I want to stay. Winona said she might need someone to run errands for something, so I stayed behind. She even left a few people with me to gather information,” Violet whispered in Sophie’s ear. Sophie felt a mix of sadness and gratitude. Winona’s people were not easily lent out. That was why few in the martial world knew that Sophie’s guild senior ran Skywing Spire.
“You don’t even like the capital. Isn’t it a burden for you to stay here?” Sophie hugged Violet, feeling like she might cry.
“I’m not just here for you. My master asked me to stay in the capital for a while. If I happen to see a noble young man that I fancy, he’ll secretly kidnap him. Then, I’ll come to the resque, we’ll have some close encounters, and voil?-a perfect match.”
Violet spoke as if it were the simplest thing, as if kidnapping someone was no big deal. Hearing her friend’s words, Sophie’s urge to cry vanished instantly.
“Fine, if you find someone you like, I’ll help you arrange a proposal. No need to resort to kidnapping,” she promised.
Marriage for the daughters of the
Spencer family was a tricky matter.
n?t
While it wasn’t impossible, it often required a willingness to marry below their social status. However, in a prominent family like theirs, not every woman was prepared to make such a compromise.
For someone like Violet, marrying a martial artist was absolutely out of was the question. She could practice martial arts; but marrying a man the martial world was forbidden
With an aunt already having eloped with a scholar, Violet marrying a martial artist would make it even harder for the other daughters of the
Spencer family to find suitable matches.
Meanwhile, Rafael had taken Travis to the study, where Jacob and Luke were already present.
When he heard that Rafael wanted him to take the lead in forming a household army, Travis’ eyes widened in surprise.
“You mean that I’ll be in charge of establishing the household army, and then I’ll manage it? How much are you planning to pay me per month for that?”
Travis was straightforward. After all, he had stayed in the capital to make money.
Jacob chuckled and said, “With Lady Sophie here, you won’t be short-changed. Just make sure to do the job well. Once the household army is established, you’ll be in charge of their management and training. Given the hard work involved, there will definitely be an additional reward.”
Not interested in vague promises, Travis asked directly, “So, how much are we talking about?”
Jacob held up one finger. “This much.”
At that moment, Travis wished he had an actual rod in his hand to smack Jacob over the head. Couldn’t Jacob just say the amount instead of making him guess?
“Just tell us whether you’ll do it or not,” Rafael said.
“I’ll do it!” Travis immediately agreed, planning to ask Sophie later to find out exactly how much the pay was.
Either way, he had already decided to take the job. He would be in for a beating if he didn’t bring some money back to the guild.
“Alright, you won’t need to worry about the recruitment process. Just focus on being the drill instructor and teaching them martial arts,” Jacob said.
“Fair enough, but can the estate accommodate so many people?” Travis asked.
Luke chimed in, “Don’t worry about that. There’s a piece of empty land behind the estate. After the New Year, we’ll bring in some craftsmen. As long as we have the funds, it’ll be built in no time.” “So, I’ll be paid during this period too, right?” Travis questioned.
Jacob felt a twinge of frustration.
The man really couldn’t go three sentences without mentioning money. His intentions were clear as day.
“Of course,” Jacob assured him.
He wasn’t stingy and would give what was due. Besides, Travis was an old friend of Sophie’s and had even temporarily held the rank of battalion commander in the military. Given his background, there was no doubt that an appropriate salary would be part of the arrangement.
Satisfied, Travis grinned widely. “Great!”